NASA ISS On-Orbit Status 8 August 2014

Today: Robonaut Mobility Upgrades: Commander (CDR) Swanson continued Robonaut mobility upgrades by installing a control board and reinstalled the waist superdriver. On Monday, the crew will continue with the mobility upgrades, which are in preparation for the leg installation activities at a later date.

Resist Tubule: Swanson removed Resist Tubule samples from the +2 Celsius Minus Eighty Degree Celsius Laboratory Freezer for ISS (MELFI), inserted the samples into Measurement Experiment Unit B and attached the unit inside the Cell Biology Experiment Facility (CBEF) micro-gravity Incubator Unit (IU). Resist Tubule clarifies the mechanisms of gravity resistance. Gravity resistance is a principal gravity response in plants, and plays an important role in the transition of plant ancestors from an aquatic environment to a terrestrial environment (about 450 million years ago), and in the consequent establishment of land plants. This present study clarifies the mechanisms of gravity resistance, in particular the processes from signal transformation and transduction, to response.

Story Time from Space: Flight Engineer (FE-6) Gerst recorded a reading "Max Goes to the Moon" in German. The recording will be downlinked to the ground and used for educational purposes.

Autonomous Transfer Vehicle (ATV) Flyunder / Laser Infra-Red Imaging Sensors (LIRIS) Demonstration: ATV5 launched July 29 and is scheduled to dock to the ISS next week on August 12th. Late this afternoon the ATV will fly under the ISS, coming within 6 km at closest approach, in support of the LIRIS demonstrator system on-board the ATV. LIRIS demonstrates the feasibility of two different rendezvous sensor technologies: Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) and Infrared (IR) camera as the ATV approaches ISS. Recorders in ATV's pressurized cargo bay will store the data for later download and analysis. Testing such technologies in the ISS flight environment will help to advance European navigation technologies to validate future rendezvous sensors for both cooperative and non-cooperative targets, including orbiting debris or an un-manned capsule.

Activated Carbon/Ion Exchange (ACTEX) Remove and Replace (R&R): This morning FE-5 Wiseman replaced the cartridge inside the Oxygen Generation System (OGS) rack that provides continuous scrubbing of the OGS recirculation loop. This periodic maintenance is done every two years.

Extravehicular Activity Tasks: Gerst performed a Retractable Equipment Tether (RET) inspection in preparation for Russian EVA 39 planned for August 18. He also stowed tools gathered for US EVAs 27 and 28. Some reconfiguration of Airlock stowage was incorporated in preparation for Nitrogen/Oxygen Recharge System (NORS) installation, a potential task that may be scheduled as a result of US EVA deferral.

Cygnus Transfer Operations: Gerst continued transferring items to be trashed to the Cygnus vehicle.

Today: Robonaut Mobility Upgrades: Commander (CDR) Swanson continued Robonaut mobility upgrades by installing a control board and reinstalled the waist superdriver. On Monday, the crew will continue with the mobility upgrades, which are in preparation for the leg installation activities at a later date.